Intel Core i5-6500 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500U

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-6500 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500U and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Furmark, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, Gears 5, SuperPi, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, Prime95, PassMark, RealBench, Handbrake, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Apex Legends
Last Man Standing
Fortnite
Grand Theft Auto V
Valorant
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Cyberpunk 2077
Death Stranding
Fallout 76
Valheim
Watch Dogs Legion
Halo Infinite
Red Dead Redemption 2
DOOM: Eternal
Overwatch
Rainbow Six Siege
Borderlands 3
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Assassin's Creed Valhalla

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3500U or Intel Core i5-6500.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-6500

51%

Ryzen 5 3500U

52%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 3500U is 1% better than Core i5-6500. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-6500

51%

Ryzen 5 3500U

51%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Battlefield V, Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Control.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.4	91.3
Valorant	103.9	103.7
Cyberpunk 2077	58.2	58.1
Apex Legends	97.6	97.5
Call of Duty Warzone	77.9	77.8
Overwatch	84.1	84.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.7	71.6
DOOM Eternal	51.9	51.9
Warzone	81.0	80.9
Assassin's Creed	87.3	87.1
Valheim	86.2	86.1

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-6500

51%

Ryzen 5 3500U

209%

To make a finishing decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 5 3500U is more energy efficient than the Core i5-6500 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 15W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-6500	AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	153	141
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	565	620
Cinbench 20 Single-core	354	360
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1299	1483
Cinbench 23 Single-core	842	876
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2928	3544

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-6500	AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
Single-Core	2149	2014
Multi-Core	5644	7199

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-6500	AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
Single-Core	1004	944
Multi-Core	3346	3231

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-6500	AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
Announcement date	April 01, 2015	December 31, 1969
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	LGA 1151	FP5
Core name	Skylake	Picasso
Architecture	x86	Zen+
Generation	6	2
Turbo Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.7 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	2.1 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	1760 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	64 Gb
Memory Frequency		2400
Memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		2MB
L3 cache	6 MB	4MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YM3500C4T4MFG n/a

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-6500 is 34% better than Ryzen 5 3500U in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-6500 is better: 22
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3500U is better: 14
Although it should be realized that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-6500 and AMD Ryzen 5 3500U before making a decision which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-6500 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3500U specs and review.